Refrigerator box



Dec. 22, 1931. D. J. HURLEY REFRIGERATOR BOX Filed Dec. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 2741123921 /fizr/e ATTORNEY V 35 the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Patented Dec. 22, 19 31 Dm J. HUBLEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN REFRIGERATOR Box Application filed December 2c, 1928. Serial Mimi.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerator boxes, and aims, among other things, to provide a light yet strong type of box made of very few parts, and having at least a partial vacuum between its inner andouter walls so that a high degree of insulation is obtained.

Other objects of the invention are: to provide a refrigerator box wherein the sheets which compose the walls are corrugated to increase their strength; wherein bracing members are positioned between the walls transversely of the corrugations to further strengthen them against buckling, and to do so in such a manner that only very small contact areas occur between the inner and outer sheets; wherein a cheap and simple form of mounting arrangement for hinges and other fittings 1s provided which is so constructed that there is practically no possibility of air entering aroundthem to destroy the partial vacuum between the walls.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, which will become apparent 5 as the specification proceeds, the invention, which resides iii certain novel construction and combination of parts, is hereinafter more Figure 3 is a broken, enlarged section on Figure 4 1s a section on the line 44 of Figure 2. 7

Figures 5 and 6 show details which are further enlarged and the latter figure is in'per- 40 spective.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a box consisting oi an inner wall 2 and an outer wall 3. The to 2a, sides 2b and bottom 20 of the inner wa 2 are referably made of one piece of material wel ded transversely at its ends as indicated at 2d. Similarly the top 311, sides 36 and bottom 3c ofthe outer wall 3 are also usually made of one piece of material which is generally welded transversely of the box as indicated at 3d. It will be noted that the sheets out of which the walls 2 and 3 are fabricated are corru ated; that corrugations 2e continue around the top 2a, sides 21) and bottom '20 and extend outwardly; and that corrugations 3e run around the top 3a, sides 3?) and bottom 30 and project inwardly. The corrugations 2e and 3e should be positioned opposite to one another and be of such section hat their inner sides are substantially continuous to one-another throughout the greater part of their depth. This form of corrugation not only aflords a great deal of strength, but also reduces the radius of their outer ends 2/ and 3f. Arranged at intervals between the corrugations 2e and 3e so that their axes lie substantially at right angles to the direction of the corru ations, and in contact with the latter, are a p urality of rods 4, preferably of circular section which are usually Welded in position to the outer ends 2f of the corrugations. These rods act as spacing members between the inner and outer corrugations 2e and 3e, and, owing to the very small contact areas between the peripheries of the rods and the outer ends of the corrugations the thermal conductivity between them is very slight. The front p ortions 29 and 39 of the sheets 2 and 3 are inturned to form .a doorway 7/, and the margin 3h of the'portion 3g is rearwardly flexed and welded to the outer margin of the portion 2g .at 2h.

The back of the box consists of an inner sheet 5 and an outer sheet-6. The sheet 5 has outward corrugations 5a and is ofsuch size 88 that its edges rest against the rear margins of the inner wall ,2, to which it is welded. It

will be noted that in the presentinstance the rear margins of the side walls 2b are inwardly flexed to form bearing surfaces for the 90 side margins of the back sheet 5, and that the top and bottom walls 2a and 2c terminate at right angles to the sheet to the top and hottom margins of which they are attached. The 5 outer back sheet 6 is usually fiat and has a plurality of substantially T-shaped reinforcmg members 6a welded, or otherwise suitably secured to its inner side. These members 6a should be positioned substantially at right angles to the corrugations 5a and should bear against the outer ends of the latter. In this manner the inner and outer sheets 5 and 6 are supported against colla sing, and a tendency to do so is caused w en a partial vacuum occurs between these sheets. The partial vacuum and the preferred means of obtaining it are referred to hereinafter. This arrangement of .contacts between the reinforcing members and the corrugations so reduces'the contact areas that very slight thermal conductivity occurs between the sheets. The margins of the back sheet 6 are welded to the rear margins of the outer wall 3 in a manner similar to that employed for securing the sheet 5 to the inner wall 2. The upper and lower ends of the corrugations 5a are welded closed as shown at 5?) to keep'the interior of the box airtight from the space between the inner and outer back sheets 5 and 6. From the foregoingconstruction it may be seen that the inner portion of the box 2 and its back 5 may be assembled and afterwards inserted into the outer portion 3, and then the outer back sheet 6 then secured in position.

The door 7 consists preferably of an inner plate 7a having its outer portions outwardly ared at 7b to form a joint against the outer wall portions 3h, and its margms 70 are flexed substantially into line with the main portion. The outer door plate 7 d is preferably flat and i is provided with an inturned annular margin 76 to form a receiving groove for the margins 70 of the inner'plate 7a. In order to maintain an airti ht joint between the inner and outer plates tfie latter are usually welded around the edge of the inturned margin 7 e as indicated at 7/. On theinner side of the door late 7 a substantially T-shaped strengtiiening members 8 are secured, and rods 9 are attached to the inner side of the outer late 7d with their axes substantially at ri t an les to the direction of the said mem ers. e adjacent sides of these rods and strengthening members rest against each 55 other and tend to hold the door against collap'sing if a partial vacuum occurs between the door" plates, and at the same time the contact areas between the rods and members are very small. 10 denotes a resilient annular ad arran d between the door 7 and the si es of the ox against which the door mar 'ns close to assist in maintaining an airtight joint when the door is shut.

I willlnow describe asimple form of mounting device 14 for holding a hinge member 11,

rack supports 12 and refrigeration unit holding bolt, one of which is shown at 13. Firstly a hole 15 is cut through the plate, as through the plates 3 and 703 shown in Figure 5. Around this hole an annular depression 16 is formed. Through the hole 15a sleeve 20 is inserted which is threaded internally -.and,'in this case, has a closed end wall 17. Around the outer end of the sleeve is an annular flange 18 of lesser diameter than the depression and of substantially the same thickness as the depth of the latter. The mounting is held in place by welding at 19 around the periphery of the flange and to the depressed plate portion Fittings as for instance hinge members 11-are held in position by screws 21 which are in threaded engagement with the sleeve bore. Rack supports 12 and the bolt 13 are threaded directly into the sleeves.

After the box has been assembled it is usually enamelled. In order to dry the enamel the box is submitted to heat. 25 and 25a designate valves mounted in the inner wall 2 and inner door plate 7a respectively. They are preferably held bymountings 14a similar to the mountin s 14 already described except that openings 1 a are formed through the end walls 17 of the sleeves 20. W'hile the box is being submitted to heat these valves are opened, and, before the box cools, they are closed, and as shortly thereafter as possible these valves are welded or soldered shut in such manner as to preclude the possibility of air entering the spaces between the inner and outer walls or plates. Owing to the fact that the air in these spaces was at a high temperature when the valves were closed a partial vacuum of course results when the box cools. The provision of a partial vacuum 105 adds to the insulation and to the efliciency of the box for the purpose intended, though if dead air lies between the walls and plates a quite satisfactory structure results.

While in the foregoing the preferred construction of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that I may make alterations and modifications thereto provided said alterations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims. 5

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a box of the character described, the combination of inner and outer walls spaced from one another, the outer walls being inwardly corrugated and the inner walls being outwardly corrugated; the corrugations in one wall being substantially in alignment with the corrugations in the wall spaced from I it, and a plurality of substantially circular rods extending between each pair of spaced walls transversely of their corrugations, each rod on one side being secured at intervals to the outer extremities of the corrugations on one wall and its opposite side being secured at intervals to the outer extremities of the corrugations of the wall spaced ,from it, so that said rods hold each gzir of spaced walls in their correct spaced re tionshlp.

5 2. In an arran ement of the character described, the combination of a container having double walls spaced from one another one wall having a plurality of members oi T-section secured against one of its sides, the

other wall havin a plurality of substantially circular ro secured against it said rods bein arranged transversely relative to said mem rs, and having portions of their peripheries secured to the outer extremities 15 of said members. I

' DANIEL J. HURLEY. 

